Clockwise from top left: the girls enjoying the music; Jazz, opera singer; Earl Bodoa, orchestral violinist; the band The Risen, from left Bong, Rob, Teuane and Nathan.
Take a pencil and snap it in half, and now you and your sister have a pencil each.
That small act of sharing shaped Mabel Murie’s childhood. She grew up in poverty in the Philippines, but she has never let that define her. Instead, it gave her the motivation to bring her community together to celebrate music through a charity concert, held at the Whitianga Town Hall on Saturday afternoon, July 25th.
Mabel teamed up with her Filipino community and her friends Kathleen Conaghan, Anita Prime, and Rob Perks (Anita sang solo, and Rob played drums for The Risen) to present Voices Without Borders – an event dedicated to children all around the world having their voices heard, and being given the resources to go to school and receive an education. The money raised was split between Anita’s charity, Na Ihowa Ahau, which supports children’s education and wellbeing, the Better Tomorrow Centre in Uganda, which provides basic resources; and the village of Sorsogon in the Philippines, where Mabel grew up.
The town hall was alive with music of every type and genre, starting with the powerful presence and voice of soloist Anita Prime, who also teaches local children music and runs Na Ihowa Ahau, a youth-based programme that helps young people navigate life’s challenges.
Next up was Earl Bodoa, a young and exceptionally talented violinist. He said that even as a toddler he loved classical music, and that people from his church encouraged him to play the violin. Between the ages of 16 and 18, he played in the Waikato Youth Orchestra and was selected for the NZ Secondary School Orchestra. Earl’s music is deeply emotional – during the interval, an audience member came up to him in tears, moved by how much his playing had touched her.
Afternoon tea and the raffle draw followed (the organisers thank all of their generous sponsors). Teenage soprano Jazz then took the stage with operatic grandeur and theatrical flair, singing in several languages. Her powerhouse vocals, and charismatic personality held the audience spellbound as she performed everything from a song about growing rice in the Philippines to offerings from Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, a stirring Italian aria, and a comic number from Monty Python’s Spamalot.
The atmosphere in the hall shifted again with the band, The Risen taking over the stage. This high-energy cover band playing post-modern jazz, country, and rock and roll, moved seamlessly between genres. They had the crowd singing along to nostalgic hits – Dire Straits, R.E.M., and Creedence Clearwater Revival, closing the afternoon’s concert on a high.
Mabel Murie and her husband Derek own the local Paper Plus, so she no longer has to snap her pencils in half. Regardless, she remains passionate about helping end child poverty and making sure children’s voices are heard. If you would like to donate money to provide basic stationery and educational resources to disadvantaged children, or to help Anita run her youth life-skills programme, please do. All money raised goes directly to the designated charities – there is no middleman involved. Pop into Paper Plus and have a chat with Mabel.
The organisers of Voices Without Borders would like to thank everyone who helped make this concert a reality, and are grateful for the generosity of all those who gave their time, energy, and resources to make it happen. God bless you for your kindness.
